Author: Andrea Huspeni / Source: 99U by Behance
For many creative types, getting involved in the public sector is a bit of an alluring mystery. The idea of working with a government-owned organization or initiative allows people to be part of a bigger cause, a stronger mission, and the possibility to impact thousands of people – often rarities in the private world, where projects are for business clients and only impact the people who interact with the company.
But while the public sector can provide a sense of virtuousness, it comes with some unique challenges and processes to navigate.
Michael Courtney should know. As the founder of Michael Courtney Design, a Seattle-based graphic design firm specializing in wayfinding, he has spent 26 years working in the public sector arena, with half of his clients in that space. His projects include working with the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle City Light, the area’s publicly-owned electric power utility, along with wayfinding projects for Kansas State University and the University of Washington.
We caught up with Courtney to learn more about partnering with the public sector.
Find the perfect project for your skillset.
“I’d recommend design firms reach out to their state and local municipalities and see if there is a government or municipal service that gathers and distributes information about opportunities for design services. And then get on that service’s email to be able to search for opportunities,” says Courtney.
Besides finding an email list, Courtney recommends looking for other designers who might bring you onto their project teams. “Architects and landscape architects do a lot of public projects, so connecting with them is a great place to start,” he says.
Land the project.
Unlike the private sector, where a lot of clients are based on relationships, the public-sector process is more stringent and follows an application process. “You need to go through the steps in the order they specify,” says Courtney. This could mean filling out one page, or 50, depending on the project. “They will ask the same questions by…
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